Coal mine haulage vehicle



Aug. 13, 1946. w. R. BECK COAL MINE HAULAGE vEHicLE Original Filed ma 17, 1944 3 sheet -sheet 1 ZNVENTOR Aug. 13, 1946.

w. R. BECK COAL-MINE HAULAGE VEHICLE Ori inal Filed May 17, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 irrokyvs/ Au 1 94 R,BE K' 2,45,636

COAL MINE HAULAGE VEHICLE Original Filed May 17, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet v Arron/5y Patented Aug. 13, 1946 COAL MINE HAULAGE VEHICLE William R. Beck, Chicago, IlL, assignor to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill a corporation of Illinois Griginal application May 17, 1944, Serial No.

Divided and this application February 1.7, 1945, Serial No. 578,494

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in coal mine haulage vehicles commonly known as shuttle cars or coal buggies, of the kind used for transporting coal from the working face to a main haulage station of a mine.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved and simplified single-wheel power drive structure for a coal mine haulage vehicle including a line drive axle and gearing connections having minimum space requirements.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 535,903, filed May 17, 1944, which issued as Patent No. 2,399,619 on May 7, 1946.

The invention may best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a vehicle constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the vehicle of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged section taken substantially along line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail View of one of the drive elements of the machine with the parts of the gearing shown in section;

Figure 5 is a detail section taken substantially on line 5-5 of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail section taken on line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Referring now to details of the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, the vehicle indicated generally at [6 comprises an elongated chassis l l including a pair of vertically disposed laterally spaced beams 12, I2 extending the full length thereof and forming the side walls of a coal carrying compartment indicated at l3. Each of said beams consists generally of a relatively heavy plate It forming the lower portion thereof, with a lighter plate [5 welded thereto to form a vertical side wall of the compartment [3, as shown in Figures 3 and 5.

The side walls at the front and central portion of the vehicle are upright, but at the rear end of the vehicle are flared outwardly to form a hopper 33.

The chassis has two rubber-tired drive wheels I6, I6 near the rear end mounted on axle structures H, it, which will hereinafter be described in detail. Two rubber-tired steering wheels [8, l8 are disposed near the front end, mounted on an equalizing structure [9, which is substantially similar to that disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,336,386, so need not be described more fully herein.

An endless chain flight conveyer indicated generally at 20 extends along and forms the bottom of the coal carrying compartment l3 for the full length of the latter, so that the coal can be unloaded mechanically from oneend of the vehicle in the usual manner. An operators platform 2| bearing the usual vehicle control devices, is provided at a forward corner of the vehicle outside of one of the upright compartment Walls 12 and forwardly of the adjacent front Wheel I 8, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The side walls [2, [2 have horizontal deck plates 22, 22 extending laterally from their upper edges along opposite sides of the vehicle which form individual wells for the front wheels l8. A cable reel structure indicated generally at 25, is mounted beneath one of the deck plates 22.

The side beams I2 are cross connected by a plurality of suitable frame members 28 extending between the upper and lower flights of the conveyer 20. The bottom of the compartment [3 is defined by a cross plate 36 xtending between the side walls [2, and on which the upper flight of the conveyer is supported. In the form shown herein, the cross plate is made integral with the upwardly extending wall portions 15 of the side walls 12. The lower reach of the conveyeris supported on inturned flanges 3!, 3| mounted along the lower edge of the side plates 12.

The driv mechanism for each rear wheel It consists of an electric motor in casing 46 disposed longitudinally of the machine and forwardly of said wheel. Said casing is suitably supported on the adjacent side beam I2 as by a bracket 44 shown in Figure 5. An armature shaft 49 of the motor is connected by gears 50, 5| to a shaft 52 having a worm 53 thereon, disposed above the armature shaft. The worm 53 is meshed with worm gear 54 fixed on a stub shaft 55. A pinion 56 is also fixed on said stub shaft and meshes with the drive gear 51 fixed on the live axle 58 of wheel l6. 7

The entire drive gearing just described ha bearing support in and is enclosed by a gear casing 59 which is rigidly connected to the front end of the motor casing 46, and is also detachably mountedwn a fiat base plate 60 suitably fixed to the proximate beam l2, as by welding, and having a supporting pin 6| projecting outwardly therefrom, as shown in Figure 3. The pin 6| is adapted to fit in an aperture 62 formed in the gear casing 59. 'The latter casing is secured to the base plate by a plurality of bolts 63.

It will be observed that the live axle 58 has its inner end supported by an anti-friction bearing 65 recessed in the inner face of the gear casing 59, while the outer end of said axle is sup.

and said gear reduction mechanism including a live axle for said wheel iournaled at its inner end in said inner wall of said housing and journaled inwardly of said wheel on said closure plate, permitting removal of said axle and wheel by removal of said closure plate.

2. In a vehicle for transporting loose material,

' a main frame including a pair of laterally spaced While I have herein shown and described one form in which my invention may be embodied,

' it will be understood that the construction thereof and the arrangement of the various parts may be altered without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wish to be construed as limiting my invention to the specific embodiment illustrated, excepting as it may be limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a vehicle for transporting loose material, a main frame including a pair of laterally spaced vertical walls forming the principal longitudinal supporting members of said main frame and also defining the side walls of a materialcarrying compartment, a pair of driving wheels at opposite sides of said vehicle, independent drive means for each wheel including a gear housing having a motor secured to one end thereof and gear reduction mechanism journaled in said gear housing and operatively connecting said motor with said wheel, said gear housing having an inner end wall adapted to extend along and be secured to said side wall and having a plate mounted on its outer face to form a closure member therefor,

vertical walls forming the principal longitudinal supporting members of said main frame and also defining the side walls of a material-carrying compartment, a pair of driving wheels at opposite sides of said vehicle, independent drive means for each wheel including a gear housing having a motor secured to one end thereof and gear reduction mechanism journaled therein and operatively connecting said motor with said wheel, said gear housing having an inner end wall adapted to extend along and be secured to said side wall and having a plate mounted on its outer face to form a closure member therefor, and said gear reduction mechanism including a live axle for said wheel journaled at its inner end in said inner wall of said housing and journaled in- Wardly of said wheel on said closure plate, per- 

